We all know presidents have a lot to do – no matter what country they preside over. However, there is nothing more powerful than that president getting out of the presidential office and getting into the intersection of trade, commerce and education. President Laura Chinchilla, a friend of Nearshore Americas, is clearly setting a tone around her new administration that strongly encourages investment from multinationals – especially in the area of ICT. (The press release describing Chinchilla’s visit to the newly christened 500-employee Convergys facility in Costa Rica follows below).

Another president working hard to deliver some of that same energy to his country is Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, president of the Dominican Republic, who recently visited the The University of Texas at Austin to nurture ties between the university and the DR in the areas of IT and technical education exchange.

Reyna’s efforts are yet another important symbol of the expansion we’re witnessing in Americas-based cross-border trade and investment. These signs are encouraging. But the real test is when the countries across Latin America and the Caribbean can sustain this spirit when the next president steps into office and then the one after that. Costa Rica stands out as a county that has remained vigilant in the area of ICT investment promotion. We’ll be watching closely to see how many other nearshore nations maintain the same energy and focus on these programs – even when a new president takes the oath.

(Cincinnati & Lagunilla de Heredia, Costa Rica; October 14, 2010) – President Laura Chinchilla Miranda was the distinguished guest of honor at the dedication today of Convergys’ new Costa Rica III contact center, located in Lagunilla de Heredia, just outside the capital city of San José. This is the third facility in Costa Rica for Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), a global leader in relationship management. Convergys has operated in Costa Rica since March 2009.

Once this third site is fully staffed, Convergys will employ over 1,600 talented employees in Costa Rica. Convergys will employ over 500 individuals in the new 35,000 square foot Convergys Costa Rica III contact center. Six training rooms will help ensure that employees are well prepared to provide superior customer experiences to the customers of Convergys’ clients.

President Chinchilla dedicated the facility assisted by Convergys Senior Vice President Christine Timmins Barry and several other senior executives in attendance.

Timmins Barry joined Jorge Robledo, Convergys Vice President of Operations in Latin America, in welcoming President Chinchilla and her entourage to the facility and took her on a tour of the production floor, where she had the opportunity to meet and speak to several employees.

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“Our clients appreciate the high quality bilingual customer care we offer from Costa Rica, and it is client demand that is fueling our continued growth here,” said Timmins Barry. “Costa Rica boasts a highly-educated, dedicated, bilingual population that shares a strong cultural empathy with our client’s customers. The opening of this new facility will help ensure that Convergys continues to meet our global clients’ current and future need to provide superior customer experiences.”

“It is an honor to host President of the Republic Laura Chinchilla Miranda here as our distinguished guest as we dedicate our new facility,” said Robledo. “Convergys has expanded its global presence by opening three facilities in the country, offering new jobs in Costa Rica. We look forward to more growth in Latin America. We thank our talented employees for committing each day to provide unparalleled customer service to our clients and their customers.”

Timmins Barry announced that Convergys had made a donation to Centro Educativo Villalobos, a local grammar school located near the new Convergys facility. The school will use the funds for infrastructure repairs to keep the children safe and dry and to purchase needed books. School official Principal Osvaldo Carranza and five students were on hand at the dedication to receive the donation.

As defined by its core set of values, Convergys is committed to building from within by emphasizing talent development among its employees. Through a number of training and development programs provided by the company, employees can build a future with Convergys and move into bigger roles throughout the company.

Convergys continues to hire in Costa Rica as new client programs flow into the country. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply in person at Convergys’ location at Zona Metro, Barreal de Heredia, Building #3 or online at www.convergys.com/costarica, writing “00000” for the zip code.

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